We have flown with the French airline Air France and in this article we tell you our opinions about the performance and service we received.
In many of our trips we have traveled with this airline, the reason is that we live in France. After having tried it on many different occasions, both on intercontinental, medium and internal routes, we have decided to bring you this article with the review of Air France flights in economy class.
Our Flight Experience with Air France
Check-In
I always check in online, easily and without problems, always good opinions from Air France on this point. There have been some exceptions where I have been forced to do it at the airport for the return flight, not always. Seat selection is possible, but the rules change depending on the type of flight.
For a flight within France, they do not allow you to choose a seat until you check in. For a flight outside, it allows you to choose before check-in, but you have to pay (it lets me do it for free because I have frequent flyer status).
With the boarding passes, we arrive at the airport to do the baggage drop. No problem at this point.
Get your flight to France at the best price
Note for long stopovers: if you have an overnight stopover at Charles de Gaulle airport (Paris), there are several hotels around the airport to spend the night. There are several buses that take passengers free of charge from the hotel to the airport (black, pink and blue lines). There are also hotels that can be reached on foot such as the Sheraton, which is in terminal 2E or the Ibis in terminal 3.
Delayed or canceled flight?
The airline could owe you up to €600 for the cancellation or delay of your flight, claim your compensation here.
Boarding
Starts on time in numerous instances. What can happen, on short flights, is that boarding starts at the time the boarding gate is supposed to close. To board, they first call families with babies and people with walking difficulties. Then those in Business class and passengers who have Sky Priority, then the rest.
Seating
Here we will show you the two categories of flights, either intercontinental or domestic.
Intercontinental flight in Economy
On the intercontinental flights we have taken, the configuration in economy is 3 – 4 – 3 (if you want to know what those numbers mean, click here), but in the last rows there are some seats with only two, although not in all models of airplane. In the Airbus 380 there is a second floor with a portion of economy seats that are 2 – 4 – 2 (seats in sections of 2 are almost always priced). If when making the reservation you have seats available for only two, traveling as a couple, I recommend them as they are more comfortable.
The space for the legs is decent in these planes, the downside is that if the one in front reclines, the feeling of invasion of space is somewhat unpleasant. It has happened to me that at lunchtime, I have to ask the person in front to straighten her seat; otherwise it is difficult to eat.
Domestic flight
On domestic flights seats are 3-3, there is not much to say in this category. The seats do not recline, they are much more basic than those on long flights. It must be considered that there are no classes on domestic flights, it is a single economy class.
Welcome kit
With Air France, on intercontinental flights, there are sometimes welcome eye covers.
Drinks and food
At this point, opinions about Air France are divided again, changing between the business and economy cabins, going through domestic and short flights.
Intercontinental flight
Sometimes they provide a written menu, to think about what to choose. There are two food options. The food is normal, go like any airplane food, being a French airline, cheese always comes to eat before dessert. As for drinks, they have quite a few options like juices, sodas, liquors, wine. You can even order champagne for the appetizer, it has happened to me to order champagne and wine.
After the meal, they will pass by to offer tea and coffee. If you’re one of my kind, and you like coffee (or tea) with milk, but real milk, well, you’ll have to settle for powdered cream, which is not the same.
Domestic flight
On domestic flights, they will offer drinks and snacks such as cookies or rolls (but minimal). So, you better not get on the plane hungry.
In-flight entertainment
Intercontinental flight
At each seat we have an individual entertainment screen. In them, we had a good selection of movies to pass the long hours of flight. If you are a fan of French cinema and the Cannes festival, you will be very happy, there is quite a selection in these areas. In addition to the flight maps. An interesting point is that there was a USB outlet on the screen, very useful to charge the phone 🙂
Headphones are generally good, they don’t completely isolate the sound but they are pretty good. It’s partly my personal preference, I prefer the type of hearing aid that covers the ear rather than the ones that go into the ear.
Domestic Flight
There isn’t at all. Lately, I have noticed that they offer in-flight entertainment by connecting with the device itself, but I have not tried this option.
What we have had on the most recent flights is Internet access to send text messages on WhatsApp. Better than nothing.
Emergency instructions
All normal, they give instructions in French and English. The video is quite original and cheerful. Better this way so as not to forget them.
How are the bathrooms?
At this point, there are no complaints, throughout the flight they were clean and with basic items, such as soap and paper always available. In this category, opinions about Air France’s level of service remained constant.
Support through social networks
They are usually quick to respond to questions and if they can trade on the reservation. In my case, I have used this means to communicate with the airline, for practically every query I have had over the years, and they respond to everything (complaints, requests, congratulations). To give you an example: once, we flew during our wedding anniversary and Vincent contacted them through social networks. They gave us a very nice detail during the flight for the occasion, the truth is that points were scored there.
Stopover at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport
At Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, you can spend your time in the various restaurants and shops in the terminal. There are plenty of souvenir shops and even French luxury brands.
If you are making a stopover at this airport, and you are not going to stay in France, but you are going to enter the European Union, consider that it will be there where you will have to go through immigration. But your bags will usually go to your final destination, just confirm when doing the baggage drop, but that’s what I’ve seen.
Transfer between terminals or airports
The transfer between terminals usually happens with no issue, here we explain to you how to move on the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and here there is how to do in case you have to transfer between Paris Orly and CDG airports.
Terminal 2E and 2F lounges
In some of the trips made, we have had the opportunity to use the lounge in these two terminals. The problem that I have seen in general in the lounges of this airport (at least these two terminals), is that they are quite crowded. It is somewhat difficult to find the calm of a lounge. At least they have drinks of all kinds (coffees, beer, wine, water, juices, etc.), they have a buffet with various foods, in 2F, as it is a terminal for short flights, there is more snack-type food. In the 2E if there is to have lunch or dinner. In all of them, you serve yourself food and drinks.
To enter: simply present your boarding pass, if you travel in business class, have Elite Plus status or higher, you can enter without problem.
UPDATE: According to what Sky team tells us, it is assumed that having the Elite Plus status you can access all the lounges of the alliance, but with Air France, IT IS NOT LIKE THAT. Keep in mind that if you make a purely domestic flight, you will not have access to the lounge. Better know…
Arrival at Destination
Generally, we arrive on time at our destination, the times that we have arrived with a considerable delay, which have been few, we have been able to ask for compensation. I will talk to you about that soon.
If you have a day available in Paris between two flights, here are some suggestions of free tours that you can do, if the times coincide:
General review about Air France in Economy class
This airline generally leaves me with a good taste in my mouth, it has its flaws, but at least I know what it is. There are no overly unpleasant surprises. That yes, in the transcontinental flights of Economy class I would not place it above several of the other airlines with which I have traveled, let’s say that it is in the middle.
Leave us in the comments what your review and opinions about Air France in Economy class you have had!
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